Siobhan Cattigan Trophy to be contested on Sunday and will celebrate her life, impact and legacy

Jewellers produce ‘fitting memory’The death of the Scotland international Siobhan Cattigan at 26 was profoundly shocking and her family hope that a new trophy named in her memory will help serve as a public celebration of her life, impact and legacy.It will be contested for the first time on Sunday when Scotland play Ireland in the Women’s Six Nations in Dublin where Siobhan’s father, Neil, and her friend, Lucy Cran, will be present.The back-row forward died in November 2021, with her family saying undetected rugby-related brain damage caused a significant decline in her health.David Ramsay of Hamilton & Inches unveils the new Siobhan Cattigan Trophy. | SNS Group / SRUScottish Rugby, the game’s governing body, did not deal well with Cattigan’s passing. Her family claimed she was not given the required assistance from Scottish Rugby for brain injuries and criticised the Murrayfield hierarchy for not holding an independent inquiry into the circumstances that led to her death.A fitting memory for SiobhanScottish Rugby also came under fire for failing to inform Cattigan’s team-mates of the family’s wishes that they attend her funeral. It took a regime change at Murrayfield to alter its stance and, in November 2023, John McGuigan, the new chairman of Scottish Rugby Limited, apologised “for any anguish we caused Siobhan during her time with Scottish Rugby and to her family and loved ones following her passing”.McGuigan acted with an integrity and decency which had been missing previously and it felt appropriate that it was the chairman who unveiled the Siobhan Cattigan Trophy.“It's not the only thing, but it's a significant memory for Siobhan,” said McGuigan. “It's been important for the family to feel what has been produced is a fitting memory for Siobhan. “Mr Cattigan will be there [on Sunday], which is a huge thing as well. He will be a guest of the IRFU and I will be there as well. It's a very special moment.”A tribute to Siobhan Cattigan on the big screens at Murrayfield ahead of the match between Scotland and New Zealand on November 8, 2025. | SNS Group / SRUThe trophy will be contested whenever Scotland play Ireland in a women’s international and was commissioned by Scottish Rugby, with the support of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Ireland fixture was Siobhan’s favourite and her family have ties with Ireland. Crafted in sterling silver by Edinburgh jewellers Hamilton & Inches, the trophy is inscribed with one of Siobhan Cattigan’s favourite quotes: “Good people plant trees so that people who follow will benefit from the shade”.‘Warmth and spirit left a lasting mark’Siobhan’s mother, Morven, said: “That proverb was testament to her selfless nature, reflecting a life lived for others.“Siobhan was a remarkable international athlete of substance and influence; a scholar who excelled academically; a teammate who elevated every environment she entered; a friend whose character, warmth and spirit left a lasting mark and a champion for women and girls in rugby, inspiring young players, transforming teams, and reshaping the future of women in sport. “Her contribution was profound then, remains so now and will endure long into the future through this beautiful trophy which serves as a public celebration of Siobhan’s life, impact and legacy.”McGuigan said he was speaking to the Cattigan family about other ways they could celebrate Siobhan. “I see this trophy as a moment in time of other things that we'll continue to do as a family to support Siobhan's memory and the way in which Siobhan's memory is used to help people,” he said. “She wanted to help when she was alive. She still has that opportunity through her name and through the charity work she does to achieve that. That means a lot to the family. From our point of view, this is a continuous process that we're in.”The lid of the Siobhan Cattigan Trophy is inlaid with thistles and shamrocks. | SNS Group / SRUScottish Rugby has worked previously with Hamilton & Inches to create the Doddie Weir Cup, contested by Scotland and Wales in memory of the late forward, and the Cuttitta Cup, which is awarded to the winners of Scotland-Italy games in memory of Massimo Cuttitta, the former Italy prop and Scotland scrum coach. “On both those trophies, the family had come into the workshops and met the craftspeople from Hamilton & Inches, and we did the same with Mr and Mrs Cattigan and Siobhan's best friend, Lucy Cran,” explained Graham Law, Scottish Rugby’s head of stakeholder engagement. The trophy sits on a wooden plinth made from spalted beech from Callander, close to the Cattigan family’s home. The lid is engraved with thistles and shamrocks and there are eight stones embedded: two blue agates, four moonstones and two amethysts.“The agates and the moonstones represent the Saltire flag, whereas the amethyst purple was Siobhan's favourite colour,” said David Ramsay, a silversmith with Hamilton & Inches. “It's eight because that's her jersey number.”Stirling landmarkThe trophy features a cherished family photo of Siobhan, two wristbands she used to wear in every game, with names of her mum and friend Lucy on either side, and an image of Ben Ledi, the Stirling mountain.“When she was driving home, when she saw the mountain in the distance, she knew that she was close to getting back to her family, and it was really important for them to incorporate that scene,” said Ramsay. “This stunning, bespoke trophy is testimony to Siobhan and underlines she will never be forgotten,” added McGuigan. “We are very proud of her, the contribution she made as a player to the game in Scotland and beyond and the legacy she will continue to provide.”